Luminance by Caran D’ache

The Luminance are the most expensive pencils on my list. They are on my wish list as well, and hope I will get them before this year is over. Keep your fingers crossed for me too 😉

Polychromos by Faber-Castell

Polychromos are by far my favorite pencils. They are oil based and have a hard lead that holds a sharp point.
When working with Polychromos you want to draw from light to dark. With many light handed layers you build up the colors you want.

Prismacolor Premium

Prismacolors are wax based. They have a soft core and lay down very creamy. They are the cheapest pencils on my list. I rather burnish my Prismacolor drawings than use the layering methode. Only bummer: the wax bloom! Yeah I really hate this. Use a tissue paper to get rid of it, and use a fixative after finishing your artwork.

Daler-Rowney HeavyWeight Paper

The HeavyWeight paper was a long time favorite of mine. It has no pattern but quite some tooth. It can hold lots of pencil layers, and for me this is the perfect beginner Paper!

Daler-Rowney Bristol Board

My current favorite! This is a smooth paper, and I had quite a learning curve with this one. It does not hold as many layers as the HeavyWeight paper but I really like the finished Artwork on this one. The Paper is thick which makes it perfect for mixed media pieces (so try out some underpainting with markers or watercolor pencils)

Strathmore Mixed Media

This is another of my favorites. I can’t really tell a huge difference between this one and the Daler-Rowney heavy paper. They have both the same kind of tooth and thickness. Basically I would say: go with the one that is better and cheaper available where you live.

Fabriano Artistico hot pressed paper

Another good quality paper that is worth giving it a try.

Pitt Artist brush Pens by Faber-Castell

Faber-Castell has the colors throughout their different products. They work perfectly together. The Pitt Artist Pens are archival Ink and lightfast and make a perfect underpainting for the Polychromos pencils. Another great thing is, that you can blend your Polychromos with the Pitt Pens. So get some and start experimenting.

Albrecht Durer watercolor pencils by Faber-Castell

Same here. The Albrecht Durer pencils come in the same colors as the Polychromos. These are perfect for quick backgrounds or for underpaintings (all the papers I linked here can hold a little water from using the watercolor pencils)

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